Motor Coach Industries has announced 30 new MCI Commuter Coaches will soon roll into Broward County Transit’s Express Bus Service. The new 2018 models will join 14 other MCI Commuter Coaches the agency purchased in 2014 and 2015.
Broward County Transit’s Express Bus Service, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, runs on a managed lane network via I-95 and I-595 to Miami-Dade County and, coming soon, via I-75 to Miami-Dade County. BCT’s Express Bus Service provides service to the two largest-populated counties in Florida with daily trips from nine Park & Ride locations that are free for Express riders.
The new coaches were sold to BCT at an approximate price of U.S. $18 million and delivered in December 2017.
“Our first MCI coaches raised the bar with our ridership, and our goal is to meet existing customers’ expectations and attract new customers,” said Barney McCoy, director of service and capital planning for Broward County Transit. “We’ll now have uniformity in our Express Bus Service fleet and a higher-quality service across the board.”
The MCI Commuter Coach features Wi-Fi, forward-facing, high-back seats, LED reading lights, power outlets, pullout bike storage trays and wheelchair lifts. Designed for higher speeds, the Buy-America-compliant, Altoona-tested, MCI Commuter Coach uses a high-floor design that raises passengers and the driver above traffic and features a long-travel suspension for a smooth ride. Safety features include Electronic Stability Control, tire pressure monitoring and fire suppression, plus a clean-diesel engine for near-zero emissions.
“We’re pleased the MCI Commuter Coach has proven to be a good fit for Broward’s operations and popular with its ridership,” said Tom Wagner, MCI vice president public sector sales. “The Commuter Coach is the leading vehicle of choice for growing long-distance route systems like Broward’s Managed Lane network. Passengers can relax or work comfortably onboard, and we’re helping many communities rethink commuting by car — after all, one fully occupied coach can take 55 cars off the road.”
